


Breathing Again (The Midnight Workout Remix)

by Fluffypanda



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Asthma, Gyms, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 03:56:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9861386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffypanda/pseuds/Fluffypanda
Summary: Tony might not want Steve's help, but that won't stop him from giving it anyway.orSteve finds Tony gasping for air.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Pumping Iron](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8111863) by [Meatball42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meatball42/pseuds/Meatball42). 
  * In response to a prompt by [Meatball42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meatball42/pseuds/Meatball42) in the [Cap_Ironman_Remix_Madness_2017](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Cap_Ironman_Remix_Madness_2017) collection. 



Despite the late hour, the clinking of weights being lifted punctuated with breathless grunts echoed throughout the dimly lit gym. Someone had beat Steve to the punch.

A few more steps into the gym brought the figure doing high bar squats into view. Steve watched in fascination as again and again the bar was lifted. The glistening olive skin, the carelessly spiked dark brown hair, the robot hovering at his shoulder, there was only one person it could be.

In the weeks that Steve and the other Avengers had been invited to live in the tower, he’d only seen Tony once despite the fact he was the only other one that stuck around full time. At first Steve had thought it was perhaps due to Tony’s work, but as time went on, Steve became certain that Tony just hadn’t the time of day for him. Housing the Avengers was just a way to keep the team together in case something happened, nothing more. Steve really shouldn’t have hoped for more, but it was suffocating living in the home of someone who didn’t want him there.

Suddenly, Tony placed the bar on the rack and collapsed onto the bench behind him, gasping like a fish out of water. Steve was kneeling in front of him in seconds, taking in the grey cast to Tony’s skin that he had missed before. It was frighteningly familiar; Steve just never expected to see Tony in that state.

“Are you alright?”

Tony just growled in response, though it came out as more of a wheeze, concerning Steve even more. Tony’s knuckles were white where they grasped the bench as he took a deep breath and tried again. This time he managed to spit out, “I’m fine.”

The lie is a slap to the face. Even if Tony didn’t particularly care for Steve’s company, Steve at least thought that Tony would know he could rely on him. Just the fact that Steve hadn’t known about Tony’s breathing problems showed that wasn’t the case. It looked like Steve would just have to prove it to him.

“Do you have an inhaler?” Steve asked.

Tony’s wheezing worsened as he scowled and tried to form some sort of response. Steve didn’t like the sound of it at all and not only because it reminded him of the days he’d been the one gasping for breath. He could all too easily picture Tony ending up in the hospital if he didn’t get his breathing under control.

“Jarvis?” Steve called reluctantly, still unused to addressing the AI.

There was barely a second’s pause before Jarvis’ cool voice replied, [An albuterol inhaler is available in the first aid kit.]

“Thank you!” Steve dashed over to where the kit was stored and retrieved the inhaler.

Tony tried to swat Steve away as he brought the inhaler up to Tony’s mouth. Instinctively, Steve caught the hand before it even touched him, but after a moment’s consideration, Steve pressed the medicine into Tony’s hand. Tony shook Steve off, but Steve knew he made the right decision when Tony brought the inhaler to his lips. In moments Tony’s breathing eased.

Tony looked down at where Steve was clutching his knee with a frown. Mortified, Steve withdrew his hand; he hadn’t even noticed putting it there in the first place. He hoped it wouldn’t be a reoccurring thing, but already he could tell it would be embarrassingly easy to get hands with Tony.

“I didn’t ask for your help.” Tony still sounded a little breathless, but his words were clear.

“You didn’t need to.”

“I don’t need you to take pity on me. I can handle myself.”

“I could tell.” Steve tried to smile a little. “You knew what you were doing right up until your lungs quit on you.”

Tony narrowed his eyes and asked, “How long were you watching me?”

“I was inspecting your form?” Steve offered, his cheeks already heating up with a fierce blush.

Tony immediately relaxed and grinned like the cat that got the canary. “Oh yeah? And what did you think about my form?” He purred, running a hand along his side.

Steve’s eyes involuntarily wandered over sweat-soaked skin. Tony might not be as muscular as Steve or Thor, or even Clint, but it was hard to ignore how attractive he was anyway. Even in the state he was in, he had a vibrancy that could draw eyes from across the room.

“I think it’s not going to do you much good in a fight,” Steve replied. “How about working out with me from now on? You can show me how you handle yourself hand to hand.”

“I might take you up on that.” Tony said, something in his eyes told Steve that he took it as a challenge and Tony wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

Finally letting go of the breath he was holding, Steve beamed happily. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad living in the tower.


End file.
